Flowers have long served as metaphors for femininity, embodying qualities such as youth, fragility and perfection while also symbolising nurturing and growth. They are often gifted to women and associated with goddesses and female deities across various cultures. Traditionally, artists have depicted flowers at the peak of their bloom, celebrating their lushness and vitality. Reclaiming Eden seeks to redefine this conventional narrative, challenging and re-evaluating the traditional symbolism of flowers. The series is also a tribute to female Victorian artists who, constrained by societal norms, were often restricted to painting flowers - works which were subsequently marginalised by a patriarchal art world.

In this series, I deliberately spotlight specimens past their full bloom to highlight their strength and resilience. With drooping heads and dried-out petals, these images seek to counter homogenous, mainstream ideals of beauty, instead celebrating the allure of faded elegance, subtle imperfections and natural decay.

The cyanotype process used in this work is a deliberate homage to Anna Atkins, the 19th-century botanist and cyanotype pioneer overlooked by art historians for nearly 150 years.

Original cyanotypes on 300gsm watercolour paper. As each piece is created individually, sizes can vary accordingly. Available framed or unframed.